​August 11

Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life — Rev. 2:10.
 
In a little while the trials will be over, but until that little while is past we are in the trial time, and it is proving us either worthy or unworthy of the glorious favors which we seek. … If we appreciate them let us seek them in the Lord's way; let us see to what extent there are other things in our lives that we might render unto the Lord and which He will accept, not through the worthiness of the deeds or the sacrifices but through the merit of Christ. Let us see if the days and hours as they pass are spent in a consecrated manner; let us note to what extent moments and days are spent in some selfish manner, or wasted upon others beyond the reasonable requirements of duty as marked out in the Divine Word. Let us see to what extent we perform our vows unto the Lord—Z '05, 380 (R 3685).
 
To be faithful implies a wholehearted devotion to a person, cause or principle. All of these are implied in a Christian's faithfulness to God, which prompts to the use of our all for Him in the things, spirit and manner pleasing to Him. Nor is such devotion for a brief time. It must be unto death, i.e., it must produce death and last until death. For such, a crown of life everlasting is reserved as a gift-reward. Light indeed will then seem to them the hardships incidental to their gaining life everlasting; and blessed indeed will be the lot which will be theirs to all eternity—P '32, 112.
 
Parallel passages: Prov. 28:20; Matt. 10:22; 24:13; 25:14-23; Luke 16:10-12; 1 Cor. 4:2; Heb. 3:14; Rom. 8:17, 18; Gal. 6:7-9; Jas. 1:12; 1 Pet. 1:4-8; 2 Pet. 1:4; 1 John 3:2, 3; Rev. 3:21.

Hymns: 326, 21, 27, 32, 58, 92, 78.
Poems of Dawn, 204: Oh! To Be Ready.
Tower Reading: Z '15, 150 (R 5688).

Questions: Have I been faithful or not this week? Wherein? How did this affect my hope for life everlasting?

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OH! TO BE READY

OH! to be ready when death shall come,
Oh! to be ready to hasten home!
No earthward clinging, no lingering gaze,
No strife at parting, no sore amaze;
No chains to sever that earth hath twined,
No spell to loosen that love would bind.

No flitting shadows to dim the light
Of the angel-pinions winged for flight,
No cloud-like phantoms to fling a gloom
'Twixt heaven's bright portals and earth's dark tomb,
But sweetly, gently, to pass away
From the world's dim twilight into day.

To list the music of angel lyres,
To catch the rapture of seraph fires,
To lean in trust on the risen One,
Till borne away to a fadeless throne;
Oh! to be ready when death shall come,
Oh! to be ready to hasten home!